1878 Thomas More UTOPIA Socialism Communism Utopian Politics Dystopian Marxism

1878 Thomas More UTOPIA Socialism Communism Utopian Politics Dystopian Marxism

“[how can anyone] be silly enough to think himself better than other people”

― Thomas More, ‘Utopia’

This famous book by Thomas More, ‘Utopia,’ depicts a fictional island society with its own social, religious, and political customs. First published in 1516, many 16^th-century critics were curious and confused at the reason More wrote the work. Many aspects of ‘Utopia’ describe life in a monastery, yet still, More seems to be criticizing European society – which he considered to have many problems. More, a devout Catholic, writes of controversial topics which those on the island of Utopia practiced such as divorce, euthanasia, married priests, and female priests. These practices were widely opposed within the Catholic faith, but More cites them as commonplace in his writing.

‘Utopia’ is even polarizing in terms of modern politics. It seems to have been influential to Anabaptists, communism, and social Marxism. Though,

‘the answer implied by “Utopia” was that political realities must be changed in order to free men.” “More was claiming that community pressure could be made to correspond to and to endorse conscience and the way to achieve this was through institutional and legal regulation, supervision and control…the environment of the monastery.” (Davis, 57-58).

This 1878 English edition of More’s ‘Utopia’ features the 1551 English translation of Raphe Robinson with notes and an important introduction by Thomas Dibdin. Curiously, according to Lowndes, the portraits of Thomas More are “critically discussed”. This limited edition is hand-numbered 27 of only 100 copies and is signed by publisher R. Roberts. Quite rare!

Item number: #24972

Price: $950

MORE, Thomas

Utopia. Translated into Englyshe by Raphe Robynson, anno m.ccccc.li. With copious notes and a biographical and literary introd. by T.F. Dibdin

Boston, Lincolnshire, R. Roberts, 1878. Limited edition

Details:

• Collation: Complete with all pages
  • ix, [5], 15-472, [4]
  • Engraved frontispiece, plus several in-text engravings
• References: Davis, Utopia and the Ideal Society; Lakowski International Thomas More Bibliography U19; Gibson 22b
• Provenance: Handwritten – Frank Schilling, 1966
• Language: English
• Binding: Leather; tight and secure
• Size: ~9in X 6in (22.5cm x 15cm)
• Very rare and desirable

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24972